Magnetic tape drives provide a means of storing data on magnetic tape cartridges to be saved and read back at a subsequent time, typically as groups of parallel tracks, where data is recorded as data records or the equivalent, on the groups of parallel tracks. Magnetic tape cartridges may be interchanged between magnetic tape drives, such that data may be written by one magnetic tape drive and subsequently read back by a different magnetic tape drive. Data reliability therefore is an important aspect of magnetic tape drives.
Data reliability testing for magnetic tape drives typically comprises stand-alone devices that attach to a tape drive prototype, test-stand, or plate model. Such test systems are produced in limited quantities, require custom hardware, and require custom interface software.
Further, such test systems work with respect to the external interface(s) of the magnetic tape drive and provide test data to be recorded and read back as complete data records as a whole, covering all of the parallel tracks of a group, as in the normal functioning of a multi-track magnetic tape drive.